“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined -and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all …God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:5-8, 10-11)
How do you know God loves you? We can cite many proofs of God’s love. For one, the Bible tells us so. The most obvious is that God gave His Son to save us from damnation and to secure for us a place in heaven. And God sealed us with His Holy Spirit to guard us and to guarantee us that He’ll consummate our redemption. We also witness God’s love for us and all humanity in providing this planet. This rare oasis in a hostile universe has a magnetic field which shields us from deadly solar wind and cosmic radiation. It has a clear oxygen-rich atmosphere that allows sunlight to warm us and whose wind currents distribute that warmth from the Equator to the Arctic. We have an abundant supply of liquid water that makes life possible. We could go on and on.
But if you really want day to day proof of God’s unfailing love, then look for adversity in your life. Is your life free of trials and tribulation? Do you always find success in all you do? Do you never experience defeat and disappointment? Do things always go your way? If so, then you should be terrified. A life of ease and unbroken success is a clear sign that you are not a true child of God. Why? Because God only disciplines those He loves. He makes no such investment of love, time, and energy in those who reject Him. But He pours out his love into the hearts of those whose tribulation produces perseverance, proven character, and hope (Romans 5:3-5).
Oh, it’s true that this discipline from the Lord is not pleasurable, but painful. But it is making us fit for eternity with God in heaven. Many saints in of the Old Testament were confused by the adversity of the Lord’s discipline. For they had the mistaken notion that adversity was a sign of God’s disapproval. Just read the Book of Job and Psalm 73. But the reality is that God uses adversity to train us in righteousness and to make us more like Christ. Are soldiers prepared for battle by sleeping in every morning or by rising early for physical training? Calm seas do not make good sailors. Therefore, God sends us storms and makes us run uphill. And when we shine with His glory in heaven we’ll understand the purpose of our adversity and be grateful we endured it.
REFLECTION
- Does adversity plague your life? But isn’t the “plague” really a blessing?
- How does a lifetime of pain measure up against an eternity of joy in heaven?
- Thought it is painful, let’s submit ourselves to the Lord’s loving discipline.
